Stay With Me
by Sparkle Itamashii
Summary: I believe in love surviving death into eternity... [shounenai:yaoi:slash] Main:1x2x1
1. Prologue

Author: Sparkle Itamashii

Title: For All Time

Warnings: Respect the rating

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing AC is not mine.

Summary: Till death do us part, right? Not anymore. [shounen-ai:yaoi:slash] Main:1x2x1

For All Time

            They were practically on our heels as we hurtled through the darkened, cobblestone streets. Dawn would be upon the village soon and with it would come the people. They would surely catch us with the crowds to slow our escape. No sea of bodies would part for lowly thieves like ourselves but they could not jump aside fast enough when they saw the armed royal guards bearing down on them. It was a pitiful truth I could do nothing to correct.

            Grabbing Heero's arm I yanked us both into a darkened alleyway. I heard the shouts of the guards as they thundered past, searching near frantically. For them to return empty handed was unacceptable. They knew all too well that it would be their heads if we were not captured tonight.

            Better them than us.

            We tried to control our breathing to keep from alerting anyone to our hiding place. He peeked out just enough to see where the guards had gone before dropping into an exhausted squat beside me. I leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes. We'd been running since dawn. The Royals may have been absolutely tireless but we were not. My legs were ready to give out on me and we still had not managed to escape. I couldn't help but think that this time they really meant it.

            This time we were going to die.

            A light touch danced ever so lightly across the back of my hand and I latched gently onto his fingers, twining them with my own. I sank to a crouch beside him, looking over with a vague semblance of a smile. "Heero…?" I whispered imploringly.

            He shook his head in response, remaining cautiously silent. With deft fingers he undid the leather cuffs around my hands. We had been running so constantly that neither of us had had the time to remove them yet. I returned the favor with momentary relish of our small new freedom. Unfortunately we were still in the fire with little hope for actual escape.

"We need to keep moving." He breathed. Reluctantly I got to my feet, giving him a nod of agreement.

            I felt absolutely rotten as I watched him discreetly checking the street. It was my fault we were in this position at all. We had almost had our throats slit because _I_ botched the gig. Committing a crime against the church is not a good idea in the best of situations, much less when you are as hunted as we were. It didn't help that our sovereign had, for once in his life, been in attendance.

            Of course we had been caught almost immediately, as we were caged in an unfamiliar building- the church. We hadn't planned on the Royals being there along with the city guards. Almost instantaneously were we recognized and sentenced to death. I suppose they were done playing our games. Most of the city guard had probably dealt with us at one time or another, though we had always slipped through their fingers like water. The Royals were better, faster, and far too efficient for us to handle. One more slip up now seemed like it would be the last slip up I would be around to make.

            Even though we had escaped the Royals' prison, we had been caught on our way through the outer walls. Yes, walls. Once you were in their clutches it was a rare miracle to depart their care alive. We were lucky we had even made it as far as the outer wall before being spotted. That we had outrun them this far was sheer, blind luck. It didn't help that the Royals weren't the only ones who wanted our hides. All the villages in the area knew who we were.

            We had already been branded as wanted a long time ago. If my love for Heero had not been enough to condemn us, our thievery was. It was not uncommon to see city officials prowling after us at any time of the day or night. We seemed to draw them to us like flies to rotting meat. I don't know what it was that attracted authoritative eye our way but I wished it would go away so that we could live in peace.

            After a moment of careful observation Heero deemed it safe to travel and we darted into the streets once more. The advantage to being as shoeless as we were was the silence with which we could move. As we ran through the streets like shadows we could hear the guards clanking around, searching. If we could exit the town we could get a fair enough head start to outrun them entirely.

            I clutched my leather cuffs tightly in my hand, not ready to drop them just yet. We were effectively weaponless and although they would do precious little when it came down to it, they were better than nothing. Heero called us up short at the outskirts of the town and we stilled ourselves to listen.

            Shouting echoed dimly from the town square. They were organizing themselves.

            I glanced out over the expanse of open, hilly ground that spread for miles off this side of the village. The grass grew thicker and taller the further away I looked and I felt my heart lift just the slightest bit. Escape, for the first time since we had begun this horrific chase, seemed possible. If we could make it to those fields we could make it anywhere.

            We took off running, mindful of anything sharp in our path we could manage to see in the light of the half-moon. Every step we took, however, only brought dread to me like stone weights in my gut. It became painfully obvious that we were not going to get away this time. The same sense of despair washed over me as I heard the sound of rushing water.

            I stopped short of the cliff's edge, peering down into the thundering ravine. I could not see the bottom for the darkness but even so high above the pounding river we could hear the water tearing against its stone channel, ripping apart anything in its path. My body screamed in protest as I fell to my knees, jarring them against the rough, rocky ground. I struggled to draw a strangled breath, letting it out in a sharp, harsh sob. It was too far to jump across and we could not make it back without them finding us. There was no where left to turn. All paths now lead us swiftly to our deaths.

            Heero turned, facing the city we had just come from as he panted for breath. I knew he still held hope that we could escape. He had always been able to get himself out of any bad situation into which we had ever gotten ourselves involved. I trusted him in the past and I trusted him now, but I knew better.

We had come so far for nothing. This was the end of our road.

"Duo come on, get up. Please get up." He pleaded, encircling his hands around my thin arm and pulling. "There's still time!"

"I can't." I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, willing away my tears. I'm sorry, Heero, I'm so sorry. I can't run any more. I can't lose you to them, not like they want.

            He dropped to his knees beside me, wrapping me in his arms where I could feel his body shake with unshed tears. He knew as well as I did that it was over, that we had lost. He was just as scared as I was.

            "We can't let them get us, Duo, please. Please get up. Run with me…" He whispered, voice catching in his throat.

            No, they couldn't catch us. They could never touch us, Heero, we were invincible. Cracking open my eyes I let the leather cuffs I had been clutching fall to the gravel in front of my knees. I could hear them shouting behind us as they finally emerged from the city, probably realizing we had already left. Time was running out so fast...

            I gently took Heero's hand in mine and answered his startled, hurt look with a smile. I wrapped the leather straps of the cuffs around his left wrist, kissing his palm. Sorrowful understanding dawned in those deep blue eyes I loved so much and it was the most beautifully painful sight I had ever seen. Very carefully he picked up the other part of the cuff and bound my right wrist, returning my kiss.

            He knew.

            They were so close now I could make out what they were saying, though I ignored it. In moments they would be of no consequence.

            "I love you." He swore on a whispered breath, leaning forward to kiss me even as he got to his feet. I wished so very badly that I could see him more clearly in the darkness that enveloped us.

            I rose with him, trembling to my very core. "I swear I will find you, Heero." I brushed his thick bangs out of his face with both hands before dropping them to his shoulders. I gently rested my forehead against his, staring at him without truly seeing him. "No matter where you are or how long it takes, I will find you again."

            He nodded, choking on the lump in his throat as he controlled himself. "May the times accept us when you do."

I closed my eyes as I smiled, nodding my own agreement. "I love you." I whispered, pulling back to look at him. I slipped my bound hand into his as we turned to face the cliff's edge. The guards were nearly upon us now.

His grip tightened resolutely. "May we live side by side in the next world." He called to the open air.

With that, we cast ourselves from the precipice.

Notes:

To continue or not to continue… THAT is my dilemma…


	2. Chapter One

Author: CONTACTcon- 589113507 Sparkle Itamashii

Title: Stay with Me

Warnings: Respect the rating. SEE PROFILE FOR DETAILS.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing AC is NOT MINE.

Chapter One

Think of the most boring thing you could possibly do on a Friday night. Something along the lines of filing papers, staring blankly at the ceiling, or quite possibly being treated to the thrill of watching paint dry, right? That's how Quatre always believes my Fridays should go. Of course it is my duty to obliterate this vein of thought and drag his sorry ass to someplace fun.

You would think it would get easier after a while. You might think he would understand after the first fourteen times that he's _going_ to lose the argument and end up at Oz with me anyhow. Somewhere between one Friday and the next, though, the reality of the situation seems to escape him.

"Come ooooooon." I whined from where I lay on the floor. Examining the back of Quatre's head from this vantage point, while interesting, was not dancing, singing, or drinking of any sort and was therefore less exciting than just about anything else I could have been doing. "You know you're going to end up there so why not just go willingly for once? You need a break, Q, face it. How long have you been staring at those sheets?"

"Duo, will you please be quiet?" He said distractedly, shuffling a few papers to the side and leaning closer to the desk.

Of course I didn't listen. "You know what really confuses me?"

"Big words?" He replied drolly.

Ignoring him, I continued. "You _know_ I come here _every_ Friday at the _same_ time for the _same_ thing and every week you tell me you're not going but every week you let me in anyhow and we end up going. Why can't we just skip this in-between part?"

Turning in his seat he gave me an exasperated sigh. "I'm _really_ busy this week." He stressed, twirling a pen on his fingers. "I have all of this stuff to get done…"

He trailed off as I fixed him with a "you-know-better" look and waited. We sat staring for nearly a full minute before he groaned and turned back to his work. It was another minute of complete silence before his head hit the table with a muffled clunk. I grinned broadly, already knowing I had won.

"Fine, but I'm not staying more than an hour or two and then you're helping me with _this_." He motioned to all the paperwork strewn over his desk as he stood.

"Deal!" I piped cheerfully, rolling and hopping to my feet. I tossed him his jacket, noticing with surprise that for once he was actually dressed decently enough to go without having to change. I think my dear friend already expected to end up at Oz.

When we got there it was absolutely packed. Quatre, in typical Quatre fashion, grabbed a table near the edge of the dance floor and watched me somewhat moodily as I waded through the veritable sea of people. It always took him a little while to warm up to the atmosphere of the night club. By now I knew better than to try and convince him to dance before he had gotten some sort of drink. He'd loosen up on his own time and not a second sooner.

Then we could really have some fun.

Sure, it was the same thing every week but it was the thrill of the chase, you know? I spent the first half hour or so scoping out the floor, separating the regulars from the newbies. By now the people who came here every Friday knew better than to fall for my ploy but there was always plenty of fresh meat. Most of the time they never really knew what hit them.

It was my job to single out our prey and separate them from the throng of weaving bodies. By the time I'd marked someone as the eve's target Quatre would be ready to dance and everyone else kept careful distance from us so as not to be included in any way. People thought they were being discreet when they watched our antics, but I knew most of them were wildly amused. It usually didn't take us very long to corner someone for me to take home.

Don't get me wrong, okay? A little fun never hurt me. Maybe it's hurt someone else but I'm generally very careful about with whom I leave Oz. Quatre calls it sheer dumb luck that I haven't caught something and died yet but I think it's something else. I'm not entirely sure what, really. It almost feels like death doesn't really want to lay claim to me or something. It's an odd feeling that I don't really expect you to understand.

Truth was that I was searching for something. I know, I know, how very cliché, right? There I was, going to the same night club for the last two and a half years searching for a soul mate or some bullshit like that. Yeah, a part of me had just accepted that I was not going to find it but… I couldn't just give up without a damn hard fight. Something in me refused to quit without finding what it came for.

Quatre, well… he wasn't really looking for anything. In his case it was the moral support that counted, him being there every week to aid my noble (okay maybe not so noble) quest. Well, that and his incredible dancing ability…

I admit that's why I first approached him. For once in my life I was minding my own business on the edge of the floor. They were playing something really sexy that I had never heard before and I was taking a break to cool down a bit. Sadly it was a bit of a dull night being that it was Thursday instead of Friday so I didn't expect that I would be doing anything other than dancing alone for the evening. Then out of nowhere this gorgeous little blonde takes a seat at my table, grinning from ear to ear.

Needless to say I was taken completely off guard.

"I need a dancing partner," he informed me breathlessly, those gorgeous eyes just sparkling with mischief as he grabbed my wrist and dragged me to my feet, "and you're the sexiest person here so you're it."

From what I could tell he was just plastered but could I really argue with logic like that, inebriated source or not?

So we danced.

All night.

I am proud to say that I have never met a more intoxicating dance partner in my life. Moving with him was like a drug- the more I did it the more I felt I needed to do it.

That night was absolutely surreal in its own right. I just barely managed to convince Quatre to give me his name and phone number before he disappeared. Of course I went back to my loft and looked him up as soon as I walked in the door. As it turned out he lived just down the street, within easy walking distance. Unfortunately he'd had so much to drink the night before that he didn't remember who I was. It took a bit of coaxing a return (sober) visit to Oz to remind him properly. After that we hit it off and became friends.

I'd really like to know how often since then he's regretted that chain of events, considering how many nights like tonight I had hauled his ass over here to dance and relax.

I don't know what it was that influenced that night in particular. Maybe it was fate or destiny, something not of this world. Maybe it was God himself. Maybe it was just my deathly good luck acting up again. I don't know and I honestly don't care but whatever it was I thank profusely.

I had just gotten to dancing next to this saucy little red-head who kept getting a mite too close when I decided it would be a good time to check on Quatre. I beat a hasty retreat, slipping unseen through the crowd back to his table. As per usual he had a glass of soda in front of him and was watching the floor with a raised eyebrow and a predatory smile I couldn't help but return. You would never expect such a passive little office-dwelling boy to have a wild side like his.

Disappointed that I had been so involved in moving that I hadn't even begun to look for someone, I slid into the seat across from him and folded my arms on the tabletop. He pulled his gaze away from the group and settled it upon me with an amused smile.

"Didn't see anything you liked?" He called over the roar of the music.

I shook my head. "Saw plenty but… I dunno." I shouted back, nicking his soda and taking a sip.

"You're not giving up already, are you?" He pulled the sweating, slippery glass out of my hands and back to himself. "And get your own, mooch!"

I grinned, sticking my tongue out as I got up again. Quatre had a thing about people drinking out of his beverages. A thing, I might add, that I never heeded. "Fine!" Twirling around, I headed for the bar while trying to decide what to bring back with me.

Treize was a pretty cool bartender all in all, but he really hated letting anyone underage purchase alcohol. It wasn't like he wouldn't sell it to me, but he didn't like it and I would have to put up with a lecture if I made an attempt. Lectures weren't really my thing so I would save the real drinking for when Mills was on duty.

Carefully I clambered onto one of the tall barstools and folded my arms on the bar this time, staring a little bit down to my left to see if I could spot Treize. It was a rather long strip of bar and he tended to wander back and forth tending to anyone who didn't have a full drink in their hands. Unable to spot him I turned to my right, hoping he had not disappeared to the bathroom. Unfortunately there was nothing- no bartender.

That's when I saw _Him._

Not even five seats away from me sat the most beautiful creature to ever grace God's green Earth.

He was just sitting there, lean form slightly hunched over the bar, supporting himself on his left forearm. His right elbow rested lightly on the bar, hand in the air just a tiny bit as he swirled whatever he was drinking around in the scotch glass he held. His bangs hung in his eyes, brushing what looked to be some long, beautiful eyelashes. I think what got me most though was his eyes.

I wish I could say that I could tell what color they were but there was not nearly enough light for that. All I knew was that they were big, dark eyes. I studied the slightly almond shape to them and decided he definitely had some Japanese blood in him. He looked confused and a little hurt as he sat, staring off into space, gaze unfocused and blurred.

It was all I could do to not get up, walk over, and calmly drag him into the alley.

Luckily Treize showed up right about then. As quickly as I could I ordered a soda of some sort and dashed back to Quatre's table before I did anything I would regret later.

Now normally I am a pretty collected kind of guy. I'm pretty, I know it, and I'm really not afraid to use that to my advantage. Beauty does not intimidate me in the least. I mean come on- Quatre's my best friend and he's got to be the most gorgeous guy in the joint. It just doesn't phase me.

But this was different.

This wasn't just some really hot guy sitting at the bar. There was something else, some other added bit of equation every part of me but my conscious mind had perceived. He wasn't like the other broody, usually silent people who spent hours at the edge of the bar moping about how awful their lives were. Something bad had happened to that boy. Something really bad and without even knowing him I found myself needing to know what. I wanted to correct it, whatever it was.

"What happened?" Quatre asked worriedly as soon as I took my seat. "You look like you've just seen a ghost!"

Right then I felt like he had just hit the nail on the head. "You know how I come here every week?" I asked, feeling a little random as I ignored his concern.

"Yeah, unfortunately!" He joked, taking a sip of his soda.

"You know how I say I'm looking for something I don't think I will find?"

"Yeah…" He sounded so much less certain, even confused.

"Okay." I said distractedly, settling back in my chair as I tried desperately to keep from looking back over to the bar. I was not going to let this affect me in the way it wanted.

"That's it?" Quatre asked incredulously after a rather awkward silence.

I snapped back to reality only to realize that my conscious brain seemed to have far, far less control than I initially thought. My eyes were riveted on the back of the stranger I had seen only moments ago. Angrily tearing my gaze away from him I slammed my cup irritably on the table and stood.

"I'm going dancing, are you coming?" I demanded, glaring hard at the mob of dancers despite that they had done nothing wrong.

"Um, sure." He replied uncertainly, following my lead and getting to his feet.

I disappeared into the crowd, hoping he would be able to find me quick enough. People usually cleared a good foot or two around me when I started dancing, so they could watch. I truly loved that effect because it soothed me to think that I was in control and control was something I always needed.

Of course it _really_ didn't help that less than five minutes later I found myself dancing at the edge of the throng, not even ten feet away from my lovely little newfound beauty. Apparently I was not going to get away with ignoring this fellow, much less trying to stay away from him. With a helpless groan I gave into the powers that be and sidled over, hopping onto the barstool next to him while attempting to look as though I were searching for a bartender. Again.

As Treize began to walk over to us I gave the bartender the slightest shake of my head. His smile was somewhere between knowing and disapproving but he stopped in his tracks and placed his attention on a different customer. One obstacle down, one to go. I turned and smiled to this boy, ready to rattle off a smooth line or two… only to find that my tongue was stuck somewhere in my throat.

He was staring right at me.

I was frozen to my spot, mouth open as though I were going to speak but I choked on whatever it was I had been about to say.

"Go. Away." He ground out, setting his glass on the bar as he glared at me. Reality came crashing back when he spoke. His voice was deep and gravelly with the barest hint of what sounded like a cold. It sent goose-bumps racing down my spine as my breath caught.

I stuttered for only a second before recovering. "Can't." I said simply, remaining where I was more because I was not confident in my walking abilities than because I really wanted to stay. "I need a drink."

"You can get another drink while being away from me." He responded coldly, dark blue eyes never leaving mine.

So he _had_ seen me get my soda earlier. "I could." I mused, giving him a cheeky grin. "But the company right here is infinitely better. What are you drinking?"

"None of your business." He snapped, turning away from me to glare down at his hands, which were wrapped tightly around the scotch glass.

"Geeze, okay. Sorry for asking about such an obviously touchy subject as what's in your glass." I returned, giving him a quick once over before I slithered down from my barstool.

As much as I wanted to know more about him (even a _name_ would have been nice) I got the distinct feeling that if I pushed him too far he would snap. I wasn't up to handling that right then so I dropped it. After watching him silently from where I stood for a few minutes, I shook my head and took a step away before pausing.

"By the way. My name's Duo. Duo Maxwell. Look me up if you ever pull that stick out of yer ass and want to talk about something." With that, I disappeared into the crowd once more.

When I finally found Quatre I was forced to drag him off the dance floor, something that, when in my right mind, I would never have done. He belonged out there more than anyone else I knew, but this was an emergency. Quite honestly the number of times I had been turned down in my life could fit on one hand. This wasn't an ordinary situation. Whoever that boy turned out to be I knew I had to have him no matter what.

The oddest thing was that I couldn't tell you why.

Quatre shook my hand off of his arm and gave me a confused look. I had never taken him off the dance floor before he was ready to go. "What are you doing?"

"Sit!" I told him, climbing into one of the seats at the table we had just recently vacated. He followed suit, albeit confusedly.

"What's gotten into you, Duo? You're acting totally whacked!" He brushed his bangs out of his eyes and gave me a concerned look.

"You think I don't know that? Do me a favor." I shifted, turning around in my seat so we could have a clear view of the bar. "There's a guy over there. Shaggy brown hair, gorgeous dark eyes, a little bit Asian." I explained while searching the area I had last seen him.

"In the suit?" He asked, perplexed.

"No!" I cried, scanning the crowd now. He was nowhere in view. Where could he have possibly gone so quickly? I couldn't have been looking for Quatre for more than a few minutes- the boy was not exactly hard to find because everyone around him slowed to watch. "He was just there!"

Quatre picked up my glass of soda and examined it before giving me a skeptical look. "You haven't been drinking, have you?"

"No! I'm serious, Quatre. He was just sitting there, wearing a black leather jacket, had on blue jeans, was holding a scotch or something… Come on! Please tell me you at least caught a glance earlier."

"Which seat?" He asked, eyes straying back to the bar.

"That one, almost dead center." I replied, running my gaze up and down the bar once more as if it would make him return. There was not even a leftover glass where he had been. No proof that anyone had been there at all.

"Duo…" Quatre started, sounding worried. "You know no one sits in the center. There hasn't been anyone there all night."

"But I… but…" I trailed off, staring at the vacant seat. Quatre didn't move, simply sitting across from me as if waiting to see what I was going to do.

I had defiantly seen someone there- and not just anyone. The most gorgeous, moody sort of guy I've ever seen or had the pleasure of meeting. We had held a conversation and he had very much chased me away after only a few attempts. Someone like that did **not** just vanish into thin air, despite how it seemed at the moment. However, it wouldn't do to continue to seem insane in front of my friend so I only gave a tired sigh and shook my head in dismissal.

"Maybe you're right. I didn't get much sleep last night." I reasoned. I never got much sleep so I knew very well it wasn't an excuse. "Maybe I'm just tired, right?"

"I think we should call it a night. We've already been here a few hours and it looks like it's only going to get less crowded. Can you drive?" He asked as he grabbed the keys.

"Yeah, I'm good for it. I'm not _that_ tired yet."

I caught the keys when he tossed them to me then picked up my windbreaker, swirling it behind me to don it. Taking one last drink from my glass, I headed for the exit after Quatre. I just wanted to get home and sleep until I didn't feel crazy anymore. Resting my hand on the doorframe as I passed, I hesitated, the skin on the back of my neck prickling.

Someone was watching me.

Ever so slowly I turned to look back over the dance floor. Standing toward the edge of the crowd was that same guy- hands were by his sides, thick dark hair hanging just barely in his face, and a dark, hurt expression in his eyes. I stared wordlessly back at him, unmoving. People swayed and drifted behind him but he remained immobile, watching me.

He was… beautiful.

As much as I wanted to say or do something everything that came to mind seemed totally inappropriate. I could hardly even breathe because I was afraid it would scare him off again. I would have stood there locked in wonder and fear for hours if I had not been interrupted.

"Move along, kid, you're blocking the door." Huffed one of the bouncers at the entrance. Tearing my gaze away from the boy I gave the bouncer an offended, "shut the hell up" look.

When I looked back into the club He was gone.

"Come _on_ already!" Quatre called from the parking lot, giving me an exasperated look as he waved me over his way.

I turned my back to the club, joints jarring as I dropped down the few steps to the ground and walked toward the car. I wanted to know who He was but tonight was not the night. I wasn't giving up, though. Whatever it took, whatever I had to do, I knew I would do it to find Him again.

No one escaped Duo Maxwell for long.

Notes:

For those of you newly joining me to read my stories, Welcome and I hope you are enjoying yourselves. For those of you who keep up with my writing (and maybe are wondering what happened to Storm…) I'm sorry for the lack of updating, I've been working on eight million things and trying to yanno… still have a "life." I hear it's healthy or something… Expect a rash of updates soon.

Thank you to all who left a review previously.

Please leave a review, I will love you!!


	3. Chapter Two

Author: CONTACTcon-589113507 Sparkle Itamashii

Title: Stay with Me

Warnings: Respect the rating. See profile for details.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing AC is NOT MINE.

"I believe in love surviving death into eternity."

Chapter Two

            I was laying on my back on Quatre's floor again the next night. Normally I would leave him to his business on Saturdays because I knew he would have to catch up on the work he missed to come dancing with me. These were special circumstances though so I thought maybe it would be all right. Unfortunately for me, Quatre had been getting upset phone calls all day long from his business and thus was not in the best of moods.

            Sometimes I need to learn when to quit.

            "It'll get your mind off of all of this, Q…" I offered examining my hands as I held them aloft in front of my face. "Sure you don't want to go again?"

            "Why are you pushing this?" He asked, not really paying attention to me any more. "We never go on Saturdays and I'm extremely busy right now." I could tell that I was really trying his patience.

            "Just for an hour." I pleaded, disregarding his question.

            He sighed and looked across the room at me, as if actually considering the issue. Finally he shook his head in a defeated way. "Does it have to be me or are you just looking for someone to go with you?"

            "Both!" I insisted, dropping my hands and propping myself on my elbows. "I'm looking for someone to go with and it's gotta be you."

            "You couldn't possibly bring someone else?"

            I rolled my eyes and flopped back down again. "I could but it wouldn't be half as much fun."

            Reaching over his desk he grabbed the cordless phone and tossed it rather cruelly into my lap. Luckily I just barely managed to catch it before it did painful damage. "Call Relena or Hilde. You know they'd love to be anywhere you go."

            Giving him an offended look as I picked up the phone, I dialed Relena's number first. "Fine." I surrendered sulkily. "But only because you're super busy." I turned my attention to the phone just as a sweet, female voice answered. "Relena? Hey, it's Duo."

            "Duo!" She chirped happily. "So nice to hear from you! I was beginning to think you were avoiding me."

            I wanted very badly to tell her that yes, I was, even though I knew how rude that would be. "Things get busy sometimes." I said vaguely. "Anyhow, I was going to head over to OZ tonight and I wanted to know if you'd come along?"

            She made a noise of delight. "That would be great! I haven't been out in ages! Do you want me to bring Hilde?"

            "If you could. I know she's in your part of town." I replied. Hilde was my sometimes sort-of girlfriend. I wasn't really sure what we were all about but she was really the only girl I considered closer than "just friends." She was at least more fun than Relena so the night might not turn out so badly.

            "Was that so hard?" Quatre asked, grinning. He had stopped what he was doing to watch me call the girls.

            "No." I said moodily. "I'd still rather go with you. Have you seen Relena try to dance? She wasn't made for the club, she was made for a completely different society."

            "Isn't Hilde going?"

            "Yeah, Relena's going to pick her up on the way."

            "Well, there. I know she can dance."

            I grinned. "Yeah, she can. You'd better watch out or she's going to get as good as you, Quatre." I hopped to my feet and grabbed my coat as I headed for the door. I paused with my hand on the doorknob. "Are you… gonna be awake?"

            He checked his watch and thought about it for a second. "Not later than one, all right? I do have to get up at a decent hour."

            I shook my head with a grin, not bothering to comment on that. Quatre was one of those people who would get up at seven every morning for their own pleasure. Not because someone was forcing them but because they _wanted_ to. I will never understand the logic behind that. I love to sleep almost as much as I love to dance.

            I actually arrived at OZ earlier than I intended. There weren't nearly as many people there as usual, maybe half the cars as most Friday nights. The night was young still but I knew that Saturday was a less busy day. People had to get up for church in the morning and apparently dancing the night away is not a proper excuse to skip.

            Since neither girl was waiting by the entrance like they would have been if they had arrived before me, I meandered inside past the bouncer. The club was not nearly as packed and seemed to have an almost relaxing feel to the beat of the music. It was pulsing perfectly in time with my natural heartbeat, unlike most Friday nights. I slipped through a knot of people that were just standing in the middle of the hallway and scanned the place for an empty table.

            Upon finding an empty table I settled myself in one of the black chairs to await the arrival of my friends. While they were actually closer to the club than I was I had no doubts that it would be at least a little while longer before they showed. They were female, after all. That fact seemed to mandate that they take about a trillion times longer to get ready for anything, much less anything semi-important to them. As long as I live I will never understand women. Fortunately liking and understanding are two different things.

            Sitting sideways in my chair, one arm propped on the table and the other on the back of the chair, I tried to relax. There were a few people standing around the edges of the floor, chatting as best they could over the volume. My gaze traced over a couple that was off to my right, dancing in their own, slower world to a beat no one else seemed to hear. The rest of the floor was sparsely populated with dancers. I spent a moment more fidgeting and surveying the dance floor before finally deciding to get a drink.

            I froze just as I hopped out of my chair.

            He was sitting at the bar.

            In the same place, the same seat as the night before.

            He had folding his arms on the bar top, head hung just so as he stared dully at the surface. The dance floor lights fluttered colors across the black leather jacket as I approached, eyes tracing a path down his lean form. He was just as gorgeous as before even if he felt less approachable this time.

I had to try. His mere presence would drive me insane otherwise. He was the whole reason I was here in the first place, in the hopes of speaking with him again.

I slipped into the chair beside him, mimicking his posture before glancing over to him and looking over his face. He gave me a sidelong look, expression darkening before he turned away from me. As he got to his feet I sighed and rose to follow. He froze, stiffly turning to face me.

"Can't you leave well enough alone?" He asked quietly.

"Tell me your name." I wheedled sweetly, ignoring his intense glare.

"No. I told you to leave me alone and I meant it."

I came within an inch of making a snappy, smart-assed remark. I wish I could tell you that I knew what stopped me, what stilled my tongue but even now I still don't know. Shaking my head I offered him an apologetic smile. "I can't. It's absurd but I feel like I know you, even though I don't think I do. If I let you wander off I'll never know for sure, will I?"

"It's better that way, trust me."

"I beg to differ!" I protested, moving forward carefully, as though approaching a stray cat. He backed off a step- frustrating but expected.

"I didn't want to do this." He said cautiously, watching me like a hawk and ignoring all others. Oddly, no one seemed to notice the rigid way we were standing, just at the edge of the dance floor. "But if you won't leave me alone I will leave you alone. I will walk out that door and I won't look back. That's how it's got to be, Duo."

I was floored that he remembered my name, having been sure that his encounter with me the night before would not have been even that important. "If you leave, I will find you. No matter where you are or how long it takes, I will find you again." The words felt strangely familiar on my tongue.

He offered a bittersweet smile as he moved toward me. I stood stock still, waiting to see what he was going to do this time. Any movement at all on my part could startle him or scare him off and that was the last thing that I wanted at this point. With slow movements he placed his hands on either side of my face, without touching it. I could feel no warmth emanating from him as he searched my eyes with his own dark ones. He leaned forward, lips by my ear as he whispered.

"That's what you said last time."

Shivering, I pulled away from him, giving him a confused look. Last time…? I didn't remember saying anything of the sort last night. I knew I hadn't been drinking so there wasn't a chance I could have forgotten saying something like that.

I struggled to find my voice again. "W-what are you talking about?"

"Next time," he replied, gaze dropping wistfully to the floor, "find me quickly. I don't want to have to go through this a third time."

"Third time?" I echoed, feeling lost.

"Duo!!!" Squealed two female voices behind me.

I ignored them for half a second, staring intently at this cryptic boy who had so far said so much and told me so precious little. He refused to meet my eyes, focused intently upon the linoleum floor beneath our feet. Against my better judgment I tore my gaze away from him and turned to see Hilde and Relena making their way across the entrance floor to me. I waved half-heartedly, wondering briefly why it had taken them so long to get here.

When I turned back around to finish interrogating the boy, he was gone.

Vanished.

Again.

"Dammit!!" I shouted, stomping in frustration as I scanned the dance floor. He couldn't have gotten far, could he? I whirled on Hilde and Relena when they reached my side. "The boy. The boy I was _just_ talking with… Did you see where he went?"

"What boy, Duo?" Hilde asked confusedly, looking around.

"You were just standing there when we walked in. It was a little strange to see you standing still when you could have been dancing but we figured you were waiting for us!" Relena added, giving me her own concerned look.

"I wasn't! There was a boy standing _right there._" I motioned to where he had been standing not ten seconds ago. "Did you see where he went?"

Hilde shook her head, exchanging a worried glance with Relena. "Are you sure? We didn't see anyone… Have you been drinking already?"

"No!" I cried, irritated that everyone thought I hallucinated when I was inebriated. I growled, stalking over to the chair I had claimed earlier and snatched my coat from the back of it. Giving the girls a dirty look I stormed past them. "I'm going home. I'm not feeling well."

I slammed every door I could on the way to my car, earning me a few angry looks and shouts. I didn't care. Something was definitely wrong. This was twice now that I had seen this boy and _no one else_ could even fathom what I was saying when I mentioned it.

Like they really couldn't see him.

Like he wasn't really there.

Like he didn't really _exist_.

I had to get to the bottom of this before it drove me completely insane.

Fortunately, I knew just who to call.

End Chapter Two, Stay with Me

Notes:

::rolls around:: Sorry this is all taking a billion hours. I've actually been writing –somuch- but… none of it is stuff I can post yet! Ah! I love you all for reviewing, thank you so much. It just makes my day and motivates me to keep going on things that, being lazy, I would probably give up on otherwise. So, thank you. So very, very much. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry it's so short! . I'd love to hear from you all what you think of this chapter and indeed, this story. Please leave a review or drop me an email! I love mail!!!


	4. Chapter Three

* * *

Author: Sparkle Itamashii

Title: Stay with Me

Warnings: Respect the rating. See profile for details.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing AC is NOT MINE.

* * *

Chapter Three

* * *

I knocked sharply on the door, frustration still boiling just under the surface. There was something strange going on and there was only one person I knew who would be able to figure out _what._ He was one of those eccentric old men who knew everything there was to know regardless of how obscure- even if he had to make it up to know it. If there was anyone I know I could tell anything to, it was him.

Footsteps groaned on the floorboards inside the apartment and the sound of locks and bolts being undone echoed in the silent hallway. I tapped my foot impatiently and tried to wait. "Howard, come ON. It's me!"

The door swung open and I was faced with the man I'd come to see. Howard. He was somewhere in his sixties, graying hair styled in a ridiculous way and rich blue eyes that understood far more than his silly smile told. He backed up enough for me to flit inside before he started sliding home the bolts. I glanced around the messy apartment- one bedroom, small living space, and a kitchen tucked into the corner- and smiled at the sheer number of books he'd managed to acquire.

Howard was one of those people who craved knowledge like most people craved water. He bought any book that caught his eye or looked remotely like it would have any sort of interesting information. Books from all over the world coated every surface, not all of them in English. In all the house there was one chair that was clean of reference material- a huge, worn armchair in the middle of the room. It was like an island in a sea of clutter. Very, very _useful_ clutter as it had proved many times.

"What brings you here, Duo?" He finally asked as he ushered me to the couch. "You haven't been by in weeks! Not since you brought by that pretty little blonde thing you've been paling around with."

"I know and I'm sorry." I cleared a seat, shifting part of a pile of books to the floor before taking a seat practically on top of the rest of the pile. "Work's been hell and I haven't had much time."

"You've been to the club." He held up a hand as I started to protest. "I'm not accusing." He leaned back after sitting in his favorite, raggedy blue arm chair. "So what's on your mind?"

I groaned, dropping backwards and letting my head thunk against the back of the couch. "I'm going crazy."

"Aren't we all…" he chuckled in that rich, throaty way old men always do.

"I think I'm seeing things." I croaked. "I went to the club last night and I saw this guy…" I sat up, looking directly at him. "Howard, he was bloody _gorgeous_."

He gave me a wry grin. "Naturally you went over to talk."

"Yeah, but I didn't get very far because he wouldn't respond… It was like talking to a brick wall."

"So some boy is immune to the Maxwell charm and you think you're going nuts?" He laughed. "Isn't that a little far fetched?"

"It would be if that was the problem." I ran my fingers through my bangs and sighed. "I finally left and went back to Quatre. When I asked him if he'd seen the guy I'd been talking to, he said no."

"He missed seeing him. So?" Howard knew I was leading to something but he wanted to make me say it flat out instead of letting him assume anything.

"No, he said there wasn't anyone there. I'd been alone at the counter. So I thought either I'm hallucinating or he was. I went back again tonight with Hilde and Relena and almost the same thing happened. I saw a boy neither of them would admit to seeing."

"Have you seen him anywhere else?" Howard asked after a moment of consideration.

"No, just the club." I could practically hear the gears turning in his head. I knew that if I just waited long enough he would be able to find answer, some sort of solution that would put everything into perspective.

"Did he speak at all?"

"A few words." I smiled dryly. "He told me to go away."

"Is it possible that the others simply missed seeing him? Dance clubs are very crowded. Might their attention have been elsewhere while you were talking?"

"No." I replied almost instantly. "Quatre watched me while I went to get a drink and Relena and Hilde both claimed I was standing on the floor alone."

He nodded, the fingers of one hand stroking his graying goatee. After a moment of silent contemplation he shook his head. "Ghost?"

I groaned. "There's no such thing as ghosts, Howard. He was having a drink at the bar. Ghosts don't handle scotch glasses."

"If there's no such thing as ghosts, how do you know they don't handle scotch glasses?" He loved playing devil's advocate but as always it only earned him a flat look from me. "All right, all right. Rule out ghosts if you will. What about astral projection?"

"Astra-what?" I mimicked, confused. I had never even heard the term before, much less knew what it meant.

"Astral projection." He said as if it were common knowledge. "A person goes into a trance and allows their… 'spirit,' if you will, to go wandering the physical plane. As I understand it not everyone can see these projections. Maybe this boy is doing that and you happen to be receptive."

I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat and tried to tell if he was joshing me or not. "People really do that?"

"I can't say as I've ever done it, but it's a theory at least." He pointed out reasonably.

"So you think some guy put himself in a trance so he can go hang at the club?" I asked skeptically.

"Maybe he didn't put himself in the trance. It could have been involuntary as in the case of a coma or head injury."

"Don't you think that's a _little_ far fetched?" I echoed his earlier words. "Besides, that still doesn't explain how he'd be able to hold a scotch glass."

"Your little glass certainly does complicate matters." Howard agreed. "I'm afraid I'll have to think on it a little longer if you want another explanation. Why don't you get some sleep and I'll call if I find anything useful."

I sighed, putting my face in my hands. He let me sit in silence like he always did, allowing me to process and try to remember any other questions I may have had. Nothing came, though; only blank, lonely space. Whoever that boy was, whatever he was doing at the club, I wasn't going to find any more answers tonight. The best thing to do would be to get some sleep just like Howard had suggested. Who knew; maybe it would actually help.

"Do you suppose it would hurt to go back to the club at night and try to talk to him again?" I asked wearily, raising my head.

"If you don't think it'll scare him away, I don't see why not." During the time I'd been thinking, he had picked up one of the hundreds of books and started reading. "Maybe just confirming that you're the only one who can see him would be a better idea, though."

Shit, he was right. I groaned- if I was going to be at the club every night trying to figure this out there was no way I could juggle this ordeal _and_ my job. "Yeah. I think I'll call in dead this week. I'm not going to get anything done at work."

"So you'll stop by in the next few days, right?" He asked, eyes twinkling as he teased me.

Grinning, I nodded. "Actually, old man, yeah. I will." I clambered to my feet and hopped away from the couch as books slid down to occupy where I'd just been. "So you'd better find something useful."

"Have I ever let you down?"

It was maybe that knowledge more than anything that comforted me. He had never let me down- not once. I had known Howard since I was a little kid, back when my parents were alive. He was very good friends with my mother- so close that she had made him my godfather when I was born. My parents had been taken from me when I was twelve, after their return plane went down in flames. I had been transferred to Howard's care for the next six years of my life and I hadn't looked back. Naturally I still turned to him for advice- sometimes I even followed it.

I knew I needed sleep so I was actually going to listen to his advice this time and get some. I hadn't gotten half as much sleep as I normally got, which was usually only half as much as I needed. I had just barely managed to make it in the door to my own apartment before exhaustion hit me full force. I foggily registered Solo, my shadow of a black cat, weaving about my feet as he begged for attention. I hadn't been home for more than a few hours at a time in days, so as far as he was concerned I owed him some loving care.

Picking him up, I rubbed behind his ears with my fingernails as I kicked off my shoes and headed for the bedroom. Immediately he began purring, a thick, rattling sound I thoroughly enjoyed. I missed spending time doing nothing but listening to that purr.

I traveled to my room, thinking about how I could get up early and call work to let them know my plans for the week. I'd have to come up with a pretty good excuse, despite how lenient they usually were with allowing vacation time. I could definitely use some quality time with Solo before I had to figure out this anomaly; cats were good at helping me think. I would just head to the club when it started getting dark.

But that, I thought as I stretched out on the bed with Solo and ran my hand over his silky fur as he curled up to sleep, _that_ could wait until tomorrow.

* * *

/**End Chapter Three, Stay with Me**/

* * *

Notes:

* * *

Writing away… This is looking to be fairly short (thank god) so hopefully it'll get done fast, yay! I'm still a little lost after finishing Storm but… Well, lots of other things are demanding attention now so hopefully that'll mean lots of updates! Thank you to all those who have reviewed this so far!

* * *


	5. Chapter Four

* * *

Author: CONTACTcon-589113507 Sparkle Itamashii

Title: Stay with Me

Warnings: Respect the Rating. SEE PROFILE FOR DETAILS.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing AC is NOT MINE.

* * *

"_I believe in love surviving death into eternity_."

* * *

**Chapter Four**

* * *

He wasn't there.

I returned to the club every night that entire week but not once did I see him. Treize chastised me for skipping work when he found out but after hearing me out he agreed to keep an eye out for the boy. He sounded incredibly doubtful and voiced the opinion that he wouldn't be able to recognize him if he saw him, but I was desperate. No one I asked had seen him or knew of him. The only lead I found was one from the part time bar tender, Milliardo, on Friday night.

"Kinda young guy, about twenty?" He asked idly when I inquired.

"Yeah. Shaggy brown hair, deep blue eyes, about my height."

"But no name." He concluded.

"Well… yes. No name." I agreed. "He was wearing a leather jacket." I added hopefully.

"Duo. _Lots_ of people wear leather jackets, especially here. Lots of people look _just_ like you've described. Hundreds of people come and go. You don't honestly expect me to remember some brown-hair, blue-eyed kid with a leather jacket, do you?"

"He was Asian." I said suddenly, remembering how odd I had found it at the time. "Japanese, I think."

"With blue eyes?" He questioned dubiously. I could see him thinking, though. Milliardo's tastes ran to the unusual side of the spectrum and this boy was certainly unusual enough to merit taking note of. "Actually…" He said slowly, "I think there _was_ a boy who came in about three weeks ago that would match your description."

I almost asphyxiated, hands grabbing the edge of the bar counter to remain where I stood. "There was?"

"Yeah," Milliardo mused. "You were right when you said he had that exotic look about him." He scrunched his nose. "Real broody sort, he was. He seemed really upset about something, though. Had a couple drinks and left without saying much."

"Scotch?" I asked eagerly.

"Er…" Milliardo's brow wrinkled as he thought back. "Yeah, actually. I think so."

"Has he been back since?" I was almost tripping over my words trying to speak too quickly.

"Nope, haven't seen him since." He gave me a funny look. "Don't tell me the great Duo Maxwell's finally fallen for someone."

I smiled weakly. "There's a first time for everything."

Despite that lead, there was still no sign of my mystery boy. I was beginning to lose hope. Nothing Howard had found was helping, no one was able to give me more than what Milliardo had uncertainly told me, and there was no sign that he would ever show up again. I was almost ready to give up- after all he obviously really existed if Milliardo had seen him before. So either he only came to the club on weekends or I'd scared him off. I resolved to continue actively searching through the weekend but if nothing came of it I would have to give up and surrender. If I saw him again, fine, but I couldn't keep worrying about _not_ seeing him.

I wasn't the only one worrying. Before I could even leave my apartment on Saturday Quatre had shown up, dressed to dance. I was understandably taken aback- not once since I'd met him had Quatre come over unannounced, much less to go clubbing. Somehow, though, he'd found out I'd skived work and decided he was going to help now that the weekend was around. When I opened my door to find him standing there, ready to knock, it had dawned on me just how much I needed support. There was no way I could object.

Due to Quatre's early arrival we got to the club almost an hour earlier than we normally would. Instead of entering at the most heated, thickly populated portion of the evening, we meandered in with the first wave of youngsters. The place felt bare, like it had been during the week. Strange, because it was always so packed by the time I normally got there on Saturdays.

"I'd say I'll try to find a seat but… I wouldn't have to try." Quatre said with a wry smile when he stepped inside. "Do you want to come back in a bit or just wait?"

"We're already here. I don't see him anywhere so that means he's got to come in through the door, right? So let's just sit."

I clambered onto a chair at one of the tall tables positioned around the dance floor. Quatre sat across the table behind me so that he could watch me. I asked him to keep an eye on the floor but somehow I doubted he even tried. He didn't seem particularly concerned for finding this boy except in that finding him would put me at ease again. He was sweet, worrying so much, but it was rather disconcerting to be constantly observed.

I don't know how long I sat, jaw resting on my hand, elbow on the table as I kept my eyes trained on the one entrance to the club. It could have been five minutes, it could have been five hours. I wasn't concerned with time, so long as I didn't miss anyone entering. There was no way he would be getting inside without me knowing. Not a chance. I marked every single person that passed through the tiny lobby area, making sure I didn't skip over anyone.

"Hey, Duo?" Quatre touched my shoulder gently, causing me to jump. "I'm going to dance, all right? Let me know if you see him."

Turning to look at him, I offered a teasing smile. "Okay, but you're only allowed to leave if you find something prettier than me."

He chuckled, winking cheekily. "Then I guess I'm never leaving. See you soon."

I watched him move into the crowd that had amassed, following the sway of his body as he let the music take him. I loved how Quatre never danced _to_ the music, but as a _part_ of the music. There weren't a lot of people who could surrender control like that. I knew I would never be able to because I'd always be afraid of what would happen. Quatre was… not fearless, but certainly more confident than anyone else I'd met.

I moved to turn my attention back to the door and froze.

Slowly, stiffly, I shifted my gaze to the bar.

He was there.

Standing there as if he'd never left, leaning back against the counter with his arms folded across his chest. He had on the same black leather jacket, the same scuffed up jeans, and the same, irritated scowl he'd worn when I first saw him. Only this time, instead of ignoring me, instead of turning his back and acting like the only thing that mattered was pretending I didn't exist he was staring directly at me. Our eyes locked and I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything but return the glare.

I had to talk to him.

I fought my sudden bout of paralysis and slipped to the ground. As soon as I moved, however, he shook his head and shoved away from the counter. My eyes widened as he rotated and began moving into the throng of people on the dance floor. With a strangled noise, I darted after him, even though I knew I would have little luck at moving through the people with any sort of speed.

I could still see him, moving steadily toward the back of the club.

Toward the back door, the emergency exit.

He was trying to escape again! I wove through the crowd but people seemed completely intent on stopping me, getting in my way at every turn. I shoved past a couple that returned obscenities that I ignored. I had to get to him. I had to catch up before he disappeared.

I had to know.

"Wait!" I cried, finally reaching clear ground. "_Please_ wait for me!"

He disappeared through the emergency exit, into the alley behind the club. I groaned, wrenching open the door and hoping I was not too late. As I tumbled into the narrow passage I threw a hasty glance around, panting. He was there, facing the dead end's high, steep wall. I looked to my left to see why he hadn't gone out that way and saw no reason. I turned back to him, confused, and was immediately caught up in his stare. Neither of us moved, sizing up the situation and catching our breath. I didn't leave the doorway, the sounds of the dance floor filtering in through the cracked entrance.

Looking away from me, eyes cast to the ground, he began to brush past. My hand shot out to stop him almost of its own volition but he must have moved to the side because I missed. However it caused him a second of pause so I seized the opportunity to speak.

"Please don't go." I said hoarsely. "I just want to talk to you."

He shook hid head, turning away from me again. I felt like someone had taken rough hold of my heart as he began walking.

"Don't… please stop. Please stay." I pleaded, moving forward and ignoring the thick metallic clunk of the club door locking behind me. He kept walking, not even acknowledging that I had spoken. "Please!" I called, "Heero!"

He froze.

My fingers fluttered to my lips as my eyes widened.

Heero? Where had that come from?

It didn't matter.

He'd stopped.

I stumbled forward, closing the space between us and making a grab for his arm to keep him in place should he try to leave.

My hand passed right through him, followed by most of the rest of me, and I was immediately awash in biting, freezing cold. Dropping to my knees I began shivering despite the warm air that now surrounded me. I felt like I had been plunged into arctic waters and hauled back out again. What the hell was going on?

I rolled onto my side so I was mostly sitting and looked over at him. He was watching me with a pain that touched soul deep. I swallowed hard, trying to collect my thoughts and form a coherent sentence.

This wasn't right. He couldn't be…

Ghosts didn't really exist.

Did they?

He shook his head mournfully and crouched beside me, eyes never leaving mine. "Just go home, Duo. I'll find you faster next time, I promise." His voice had a strange echo to it, almost like it was changing its own sound waves and distorting them. I hadn't been able to hear it inside the club.

"Find me faster?" I choked, sitting up more. "Faster than what? Please tell me!"

"You already know."

"No, I _don't_ know!" I cried, only getting more confused. My muscles hurt when feeling began prickling into them as they warmed.

"You do not _remember_ but you do know." He repeated, reaching out to brush icy cold fingers across my cheek. I shivered, bringing my hand up to grasp his arm even though I knew it would only pass through.

"Please…" I croaked- my voice was thick and caught in my throat. God I didn't want him to leave. I may not have truly met him before in my life but I understood, on some level, that I _needed_ to know him. I'd tortured myself for a week hoping to even catch a glimpse of him again, what was I going to do? Let him walk away? I couldn't.

It didn't even matter if he was real or not.

I didn't care.

I needed him on a more base level than I needed to breathe.

There was something there, now that we were alone. There was something he wasn't telling me, something that was so important. It was something I was utterly blind to understanding, a consuming need that constricted in my chest and stole my breath. This wasn't just some hallucination. I didn't want to leave him and I didn't want him to leave me. The fact that I couldn't explain why only seemed to make the feeling stronger.

"It's too late now. There's nothing we can do this time." He said quietly, rising. "Next time, okay?"

I struggled to work my limbs as he straightened completely and moved toward the exit of the alley. With clumsy balance, I helped myself up along the wall, calling to him again. There was no response, no hesitation as I stumbled after him, cold seeping from my joints as movement heated them.

"It's _not_ okay!" I shouted after him as he reached the mouth of the alley and finally paused. "It couldn't be _less_ okay, Heero. That's your name, isn't it? Heero?" His fists clenched at his sides and I could see his body tensing. "Please don't walk away." I whispered hoarsely. "Please don't leave me alone. I don't… I don't know what's happening and it's scaring me. I know you know. I know you can do something about this."

"I can't." His voice barely carried to me. "I can't tell you anything until you remember on your own, Duo. I have to go."

"No!" I bolted forward, rounding the corner a second after he did.

The street was empty.

There was no sign of the boy. Of Heero.

He was gone. Again.

I slumped back against the cold brick wall, tears welling in my eyes. The door opened, creaking hinges echoing in the now empty alley. A tentative voice called my name as I pulled my knees to my chest and buried my face in my arms. I couldn't handle this. I hated being left in the dark, especially when it felt like this was such an important thing. Like I should already _know_ what was happening and it was hurting me and it was hurting him that I didn't.

"Duo…?" Quatre called again as he came around the corner. I couldn't even raise my head to acknowledge his presence. "Are you all right? I saw you bolt for the back door and I came as soon as I could. What happened?"

"Can I stay at your place tonight?" I mumbled, breath seizing in my lungs as I tried to speak. God, how I didn't want to go home. I didn't want to be left alone for my thoughts to ambush me, plague me into insomnia. "Please?"

"S-sure." He stammered, probably almost as confused as I was. "That's fine. I'll go grab our stuff."

"Thanks." I managed weakly, lifting my head and letting it drop against the brick as he moved away to the entrance of the club.

I had to figure this out before it killed me…

* * *

/**End Chapter Four, Stay With Me**/

* * *


	6. Chapter Five

* * *

Author: Sparkle Itamashii

Title: Stay with Me

Warnings: Respect the rating. Please see profile for details.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing AC is NOT MINE.

* * *

"_I believe in love surviving death into eternity…_"

* * *

**Chapter Five**

* * *

_Vertigo, seizing mind and body; falling, dropping like a rock to a howling river.___

_ Warm hand…_

_ Icy water racing upwards, hungry for blood; impact-_

I shouted, struggling out from under the sheets in which I'd become entangled. My breath came in ragged, painful gasps, burning my lungs like I hadn't been breathing for several minutes. I felt dizzy. One hand flew to my head, covering my eyes as I tried to orient myself. Startled at the wetness around my eyes, I withdrew my hands, confused.

Had I been crying?

I groaned, rolling from the bed and closing my eyes as tightly as I could. Crying would definitely explain the headache that was coming on now that I was moving. I felt awful; like I'd been put through a wringer. I hated waking up like that because it always left me feeling like shit for hours afterwards.

When I'd been a little kid I used to have recurring dreams; terrifying dreams where I would be completely exhausted, standing on the edge of a cliff with someone I couldn't see. With only a few seconds' pause we would jump.

The plunge itself never woke me- hitting the raging torrent of water below did. I'd been terrified of getting into water ever since I can remember because of that dream.

But I hadn't had those nightmares in years.

I really hoped they weren't going to become a problem again.

I moved to turn on the light so that I could find my way to the bathroom, but when I flicked it on the light sent spikes of pain into my head through my eyes. I hadn't even been drinking but it felt like a hangover of the worst kind. I quickly thought better of trying to light my way and plunged myself into darkness once more. I felt my way down the hall, hoping Quatre still kept his ibuprophen in the medicine cabinet on the wall- I'd never find it otherwise.

Just as I was crossing the hallway, movement caught my eye. At first I dismissed it, as I always do when I see Solo moving like a shadow through the house… until I realized that _Quatre_ didn't have any pets. He was too clean to have animals, except for the large saltwater fish tank in the front room. We should've been the only two people in the house and he slept like a brick until his alarm went off at six.

It was only a little past four in the morning.

Standing completely still, I weighed the importance of fixing my headache against the importance of investigating and unfortunately for my head my curiosity won. I swiveled away from the door to the bathroom, still feeling a little sleep-drunk, and padded softly down the hallway in the opposite direction. I headed for the kitchen, knowing that the lights by the stove were softer than most others and I could turn them on without collapsing in pain. I reached the edge of the room and sought the switch with my fingers, flipping it up when I finally found it.

I barely contained my yelp of surprise at the figure standing across the kitchen, watching me with calm blue eyes.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed. "How did you get in?"

He sighed soundlessly and gave me a sad look, the corner of his mouth quirking in an apologetic smile. "I followed you. I came to say goodbye."

"You're leaving?" I asked cautiously, not moving.

His gaze dropped and hurt expression flickered over his features. "Yeah."

"F-for good?" I stammered, almost begging him to say no.

"Yeah." He whispered, not raising his eyes.

"Will you…" I inquired softly, pleading, "at least tell me why before you go? I'm confused, Heero. I know you, or I did, but I can't remember and it hurts." I let my voice drop so my words fell on a breath. "You're hurting me."

He closed his eyes, his jaw clenching and his brow furrowing deeply as he tamped down whatever reaction he was having. "I can't." He said at last, with a little shake of his head. "Shinigami is coming soon and he'd be furious if I said anything I wasn't supposed to say."

I struggled, racking my brain for the small amount of Japanese that I had learned in high school. It had been far too long, though. I couldn't match that to anything. I had a sinking feeling that I wouldn't want to know, even if I could have remembered.

"Shinigami?"

Those startlingly blue eyes met mine in the dim light of the kitchen. "You know… Death."

My breath caught as I stared at him, wide eyed. If he wasn't dead yet, how was he always around? How did I pass through him last night in the alley? If he was still alive that meant… but if he was telling the truth and death was coming for him…

"Don't go." I begged when I found my voice. "If you don't go-"

"He'll find me." I saw him heave a sigh of regret but it made no noise. He traversed the couple paces that separated us and stopped inches away from me. "Where-ever I am. I can no more hide from him than I can touch you."

Very gently he reached up with one hand, laying it icily along my cheek as he leaned forward. I shivered as his cold lips brushed along mine, not truly touching them. It was strange, not feeling any pressure, only the frosty, biting sensation of the connection. I closed my eyes, allowing the sensation to envelop my mind, and felt tears prickle along my eyelashes. This was so unfair…

He pulled away after a few seconds, eyes opening only halfway as he looked at me. "I'm so sorry."

I bit my lip, trying to breathe around the lump in my throat. Closing my eyes, I brought my hand to my cheek, ignoring the iced feeling that clutched at the skin of my fingers when they passed through him. I didn't care how cold I got. I'd freeze to death if I thought it would keep him here with me. Gradually warmth began seeping back into my flesh and I could feel my own fingers resting on my jaw.

When I opened my eyes again, he was gone.

I sank to my knees, falling forward and letting my forearms knock against the tile floor as I curled in on myself. God, what was I doing? I'd fallen in love with a ghost of a boy I'd never met yet knew on a deeper level than I'd ever thought possible.

And now…

No.

There had to be something I could do. I knew he wasn't dead yet. Maybe I still had time. Maybe there was some way to stop his Shinigami, some way to strike a bargain. I'd never had a problem talking to gods before- okay, so they never answered but there's a first time for everything, right?

I struggled to my feet, scrubbing furiously at my eyes. I really had to keep it together better than this. Falling apart now wasn't going to do anyone, especially me, any good. I grabbed the receiver off the wall and dialed a familiar number, completely forgetting the time in my haste.

The phone clicked and shuffled, as though he was having trouble remembering how to use it. "Hullo?"

"His name's Heero." I spilled as soon as I heard his voice.

"Duo?" Howard asked sleepily, "It's four thirty in the morning. What-"

"You said you were looking into things at the local hospitals. Was there anyone by the name "Heero"?" I interrupted.

"Where are you?" He was quite obviously (and understandably) less awake than I. "I left a message with a list of names, didn't you get it?"

"I didn't go home last night; I went to Quatre's. I'm sorry to call so early, but I need to know."

Already I could hear him shuffling papers, grumbling names and words under his breath as he skimmed them aloud like he always did. Finally I heard a noise of triumph and he cleared his throat. "I thought I had it somewhere- Jenkinson County Hospital. Two boys were admitted a week and a half ago after a drunk-driving accident. Uh… Oh, one of them, the older one, woke up a few days ago but the other is still unconscious. His name is…" He paused, almost killing me with the suspense. "Oh, here we go. Heero Yuy."

I missed anything he said after that as the phone tumbled from my limp fingers.

_Burning hands, trailing down heated flesh....Gasps, echoing in the dead of the night...._

_"I love you…"_

_Cold, damp walls feeling like they're closing , pushing to exhaustion and beyond...._

_"May the times accept us…"_

_Eyes like polished cobalt, full of love....Soft touches, whispered declarations...._

_"May we live side by side in the next world…"_

_Facing an invisible end, closing eyes and leaping blindly....Water, so much water everywhere, ripping and shredding everything to pieces...._

_"No matter where you are or how long it takes, I will find you again...."_

I was distantly aware of Howard's voice, piping metallically from the phone as he called to me, but memory had taken a savage hold on me.

Oh yes, I knew Heero. I knew Heero better than anyone else could ever have known him. I'd followed him through death, past death, back into life again. I'd defied the separation of oblivion and met him in this new world, a time when we could be accepted for everything that we were… just like we had hoped.

I couldn't bear to lose him. Not again.

* * *

/**End Chapter Five, Stay With Me**/

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Notes:

* * *

Oh come on people… I'm not yet lame enough that I'd make it so predictable as to have Heero be a ghost. Honestly… ::grin:: The real question is… what happens now? Does he make it? Does he NOT make it? Does he make it in time or is he already too late? ::flail:: I don't know yet so I guess we'll find out...

* * *


	7. Chapter Six

* * *

Author: Sparkle Itamashii

Title: Stay With Me

Warnings: Respect the rating. See profile for details.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing AC is NOT MINE.

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****

"_I believe in love surviving death into eternity…_"

* * *

****

**Chapter Six**

* * *

I left the phone where it lay and hauled myself to my feet. There was no time to waste- Jenkinson hospital was almost an hour away in good traffic. Even if I drove like a maniac (which was the plan), there was still no guarantee that I would make it there in time. It was a long shot but I had to do _something._

I had to try.

"Quatre?" I poked my head into his room, knowing he probably wouldn't wake for anything. I felt I owed him at least a quick goodbye before I disappeared or he would make himself sick with worry. "I'm going to the hospital. Jenkinson County, the one on Forty Eighth."

Surprisingly, he stirred and looked blearily at me. "Hospital?" He mumbled nearly incoherently as he sat, platinum hair sticking up at odd angles. It made me wonder how he ever got it to stay down during the day… "Why?"

"I need to see someone there. I'll have my cell with me."

"Can it wait an hour? I'm going there today anyhow so it'd be easier if we went together." He reasoned, yawning.

I'd forgotten- one of Quatre's friends had been admitted to the hospital not very long ago and he'd been going to see him almost every day since. "This can't wait. I'll see you when you get there."

"I hope it turns out okay for your friend." He sighed, flopping back onto the bed. "Drive safe."

I knew he probably wouldn't remember any of that when he woke or if he did it would only feel like a dream. I shoved my feet hastily into my shoes, stamping them as I walked to make them fit better. Leaving the door unlocked because I didn't have a key, I shot off for the parking lot behind the apartment building.

The drive seemed to take forever. I saw a grand total of maybe twenty vehicles the entire car ride, including the long police cruiser monitoring the opposite side of the freeway. Her headlights were stealthily off but her internal lights were not-so-stealthily shining brightly, making it very easy for me to spot and avoid her.

The nurse at the hospital, however, was a little trickier to bypass.

"Sir?" Came the polite inquiry the second I tried to sidle past the front desk. "Can I help you?"

"Uh…" I stared at her like a deer caught in headlights until I managed to come up with something sensible to say. "Yes." I tried to look as though I hadn't just been trying to sneak into the patient wing. "Actually, I just got into town and I thought I would stop by to get my friend's room number. He had an accident and this is the first time I've been able to make it over since I heard."

"Visiting hours are not until after noon, sir." She replied patiently.

"I know," I assured her, glancing to the door and trying to come up with a way around this lady. I could always make a break for it… "I just need the number so that I don't have to wait when I come back, you know?"

She studied me for a second and then her fingers flickered over the keys as she looked at me expectantly. "What's his name?"

Surprised, it took me a second of pause before I could say it. "Heero Yuy." I put as much feeling into it as was humanly possible. It worked- she gave me a pained, sympathetic look.

"He's in room 214. Doctors didn't think he was going to make it and he's been in and out of consciousness all week. Everyone's been talking about him. So young…"

I glanced nervously to the door again. Bolting to see him as fast as I could was definitely sounding like a good idea right then, consequences be damned. "You're sure there's no way… I mean… I'd hate to come back tomorrow only to find out I was too late."

She rose to glance behind me at the parking lot and turned an uncertain gaze to me. Biting her lip, she sighed in resignation. "You won't be long?"

"I just want to see him," I pleaded, glancing to her nametag, "Sally. Please." I could feel the same desperation I had felt at Quatre's loft creeping over me.

"I can give you fifteen minutes. It'll take you a few to get there from here. If security stops you, just tell them you left something in a room and have them call me." While she had been talking she ferreted out a cheap plastic badge and passed it over the counter. The door buzzed to unlock.

"Just Sally?" I questioned dubiously as I clipped on the tag and reached for the handle of the door.

"Sally Po. They know who I am. I'll tell them I let you in for a few."

I gave her a grateful look as I opened the door. "Thank you, so much."

His room wasn't hard to find once I made it to the second floor. There were signs everywhere, directions even a total idiot could follow blind. I spotted four of the nurses in time and managed to cajole my way past the fifth. There must have been only a skeleton crew working in this area, making the halls seem deathly quiet. It felt deserted- like I was moving through a cheap horror film and any moment something nasty would pop out of one of the silent rooms.

However, there was nothing but sickly blue walls and clean white tile.

I rounded the corner and almost walked past his room in my hasty search. Backtracking a pace, I entered, practically holding my breath. It was a small room with a curtain for a wall on the right side. There was a load of muted equipment monitoring the long form bundled on the blocky, white hospital bed. I watched the pulse monitor for a minute, trying to bring together my thoughts and steel myself for whatever came next.

Taking a deep breath, I at last turned my attention to Heero.

My heart caught in my throat at the sight of him. All of his beautifully bronzed skin had turned a pasty, sickly olive. The hair on one side of his head had been completely shaved, jagged black stitches marring the scalp in criss-crossed patterns. The same side of his face was scratched and scabbed over already, as if he'd been drug along on pavement. His left arm was broken, sealed in a gaudy, off-white cast from his wrist to his shoulder. The pulse reader was attached to his thumb and there were tubes running from his nose and mouth to some sort of ventilator machine. My eyes flickered up the saline drip and back down again, settling for a final time upon his face.

"Oh god…" I murmured, taking a few halting steps toward the bed. "Heero…"

I brushed the tips of my fingers across the back of his hand, never taking my eyes off of his. What I wouldn't have given to see him open those eyes and look at me. He wasn't just a memory any more. Everything that we'd been through in our past lives, every trial, every separation, every _every_thing was at the fore of my mind as I gently took his limp hand in mine. He looked as helpless as I felt as I knelt and lay my chin on the edge of the bed, watching him.

"I'm here, Heero. I made it." I choked, swallowing against the lump in my throat. "I came to you now come to me." I whispered, closing my eyes. "Please… open your eyes. I remember, Heero; I remember everything. You can't leave me now. I don't think I can survive losing you again. I just… please…"

I curled my fingers more tightly into his and rested my forehead on the cold metal frame of the bed. This was so unfair. None of this should have to happen. We shouldn't have had to of kept getting ripped away from one another, life after life. If he would just open his eyes and hold my hand, smile and let me know that it would be all right… if we could just…

I don't know when I started crying.

Some time after I had regressed into murmuring incoherently to Heero's prone form, I was able to pull myself together enough to raise my head. Nothing had changed. Heero was still unconscious. I was still in the hospital. The world was still a waking nightmare.

"He wanted you to be here," came a gentle, sorrowful voice from the entrance of the little room, "but you shouldn't have come."

Fortunately I was too drained to be startled enough to jump. My head merely lolled to the side and I looked to the darkened doorframe. Heero stood there, well and whole as I remembered him, not the broken shell that lay in front of me. I couldn't even bring myself to move; my legs felt like lead weights and I don't think they could have surgically removed my hand from Heero's if they'd tried.

"I'm sorry, Heero." I whispered, eyes prickling again with tears as I shook my head against the bed sheets. "I am so…. Sorry…" As much as I wanted to say a million things I couldn't get a single one past my lips.

"It's okay. You remember now? You remember… us?"

"I don't know how I could have ever forgotten." I tamped down on a sob, only allowing myself a shudder. "I was so… I don't know what to do anymore. I can't fix it. I can't make it better this time, Heero. I don't… I don't want to lose you." My voice cracked and I buried my face in my folded arms, unable to control the sob this time.

Cold penetrated my shoulder and I felt him near me once more. "Duo…"

"It's not fair." I managed weakly, trembling. "It hurts… so much."

"I have to go now. He's here." He said gently. Icy cold enveloped me in a brief embrace and then began to fade.

When he rose and backed away, I came with him. Fighting the way my body protested against the movement, I clambered to my feet and looked at him one last time. He smiled gently, head tilted just a little to the side as he considered me. I must have looked a wreck- an hour of sleep, face a mess from crying, rumpled clothes because I hadn't even bothered to change after getting to Quatre's. But all I saw reflected in his eyes was love. The memory of everything that had been our pasts was wrapped up in that cobalt gaze, staring back at me as if it had been just yesterday.

My control crumpled again at that look.

"I will find you." I swore in a tone that broke on every resolutely spoken word. "No matter what, I will find you next time."

"I wish it were that easy." He said, dropping his eyes from mine. "But it's not this time. Our deaths will be out of synch. I won't-" His words caught and his mask slipped. Everything he was feeling shone through; all the pain it caused him to even think about what he wished to say was clear as day on his features.

But I knew.

God, did I know…

So I said it for him, to spare him the torment.

"So you won't… be seeing me again." I wanted to look away as he had done but I could not tear my gaze away. It was all for nothing. Everything we'd done, everything we'd fought for was about to be stripped from us like it had never happened. In all the lives I was bound to lead, I might never come across him again…

"I have to go." He whispered thickly. "He's here."

The room shifted, for lack of a better word, and I was suddenly aware that we were not alone. There was another here with us, something greater than any human, than any mortal life. I felt terrified and ill at the thought of it. Death had arrived in the most literal of senses and it was here to take the one thing I cared about most.

I had never hated anything so thoroughly as I hated in that single moment.

"He can't have you." I ground out through clenched teeth before anything could change. "I won't let him."

Honestly, I don't know what I was doing or what I thought I was going to do. It wasn't like I really had the power to bloody _stop_ him if he wanted to take Heero. What was I going to do- throw myself at him? Scream for help? Chuck a tantrum and hope he paid enough attention to me that he forgot what he was here for? Somehow none of that seemed terribly likely to work.

I shivered at the sensation thrilling through my body after I spoke. I heard no voice aloud but somehow I knew. I was being laughed at. Mocked. I suppose it must have seemed pretty silly, an insignificant mortal like me challenging a god. A knot of defensive anger settled in my gut. My fists clenched so tightly my nails bit into my palms.

"Maybe I can't stop you," I whispered, not taking my eyes from Heero's, "But he's not leaving without me."

Heero made a concerned noise and took a step toward me only to be halted, as though held back by his shoulder. Giving me a pained look, he shook his head and stepped back to where he had been standing. "Don't do this. I have to go- alone. You can't just decide otherwise."

"_Make_ it my decision." I snapped angrily. "Didn't god give humans free will? What's the point if we can't use it? I just want to follow you, Heero, where-ever you go. What-ever the price."

"It's not that simple, Duo." Heero said gently.

"It's not that simple or he's not going to _let_ it be that simple?"

"Life is never simple." Heero repeated as he turned from me. "You know that."

"_Every raindrop creates a ripple. Every brush stroke changes the painting. Every death changes life,_" Howard's voice echoed in my memory._ "Life is not a simple thing, Duo. It never was._"

"No! Please don't go!" I cried, stumbling forward as I felt their presences withdrawing; as I watched Heero's form waver and begin to fade. "You can't just leave me here!" I shouted, ignoring the way my heart seized painfully in my chest and my eyes prickled with tears.

The heart monitor behind me flat-lined, ringing with a single, drawn out tone.

"No!" I whirled to face the machines, furiously grabbing hold of the bar at the foot of the hospital bed. That horrible, droning noise filled the room as a monitor in the second half of the room, the part behind the curtain, sounded as well. I clenched my jaw, knuckles turning white with pressure where I clutched the bar as I stared at the broken body Heero had left behind.

Was that supposed to be it? Was I supposed to accept fate and let go of the only thing in all the cosmos that truly mattered to me?

Was I just supposed to let him die?

"No." I refused to give in. "This is _not_ how this ends. Not for us."

* * *

/**End Chapter Six, Stay With Me**/

* * *


	8. Chapter Seven

* * *

Author: Sparkle Itamashii

Title: Stay with Me

Warnings: Respect the rating. See profile for details.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing AC is NOT MINE.

* * *

"_I believe in love surviving death into eternity…_"

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

I had to get out, fast.

People were going to start showing up because of the horrible, droning noise in this room and the next. If I didn't leave they were going to find me here, where I wasn't supposed to be, standing caught between two dead bodies- definitely _not_ where I needed to be found. My own survival instinct took over at that point.

Ducking out the entrance of the room, I skirted around a corner in time to miss being seen by the doctor practically running down the hall. I almost blew it when I stepped into the corridor after him and realized there were more people behind him. Luckily none of them seemed to notice me- I expect they were rather preoccupied with getting to the room I'd just vacated.

I sank back against the wall as soon as I was far enough away, dropping pathetically to the ground. Light, what was I going to do? Running away really wasn't going to do any good and I doubt it would stay a secret that I'd been in the hospital. After that point any chance I had of changing the situation would be gone. If I was going to get the attention of a god, I was going to have to think fast. How could I possibly draw such a powerful focus to myself?

"_Every raindrop causes a ripple._" I whispered, recalling again the words I had remembered Howard speaking to me when I was a teen.

When I was younger, just after I had gotten transferred to Howard's care, I had questioned _everything_- especially death. I was so angry at my parents for dying and I was even angrier at the world for taking them from me when I still needed them. I couldn't understand _why_. My parents had never done anything to merit the short end of the stick. They hadn't done anything wrong. They weren't bad people. So _why_ had god killed them?

"The world has got a design." Howard had told me when I'd finally stopped crying that first night. "Everyone has a place to be and a role to play. There is an order to everything that happens, even if you can't see or understand it. Everything affects every other thing- if you change even one element the original design fails."

Just because that is the way things are _supposed_ to happen, though, didn't make them _fair_. It hadn't been fair for the design to take my parents then and the situation wasn't fair now. Heero shouldn't have died before me. What was I supposed to do now? Wait? Obviously I wasn't supposed to die any time soon if our deaths were going to be out of synchronization enough that the design didn't allow for me to find him next life. So-

"The world has got a design…" I whispered, groping my way quickly to my feet. Oh god, it was so simple. "Change even one element…"

That was all I had to do.

I picked my way back to the first floor, waving distractedly to that lady at the counter as she rose from her seat and started calling me. Something about tags or something… I didn't really hear and she didn't chase me past the front doors so I don't suppose it could have possibly mattered.

Slamming the car door, I cranked the key and waited for my engine to roar to life. I wanted a chance to bargain, a chance to get Heero back or at the very least be allowed to follow him. I couldn't do that alone- I may have been a lot of things but I was still just a single, lowly mortal. However, I had one advantage most people would never have.

I knew I wasn't supposed to die yet.

Every death changes life. Change one element and the design fails.

I wanted to get the attention of a god.

Screwing with the most complex, intricate pattern ever crafted by their hand seemed like a good start.

After all, I'd already lost the only person that mattered- what did it matter how things happened now? If I died, I died. If I never saw him again because of what I was about to do… well, I wasn't any worse off than I already was. What could they possibly do to me- send me to hell? Bit late for that if Heero had already been taken from me.

The highway wasn't very far. It was very peculiar how everything inside me had seemed to just shut down. I felt oddly calm at first as I merged into traffic, coolly speculating at the tons of worked metal flying all around me as people rushed to get to their jobs on time. It was the perfect time. Any one of them… All I would have to do is swerve a little and…

But I couldn't do it.

Fury coiled in my gut- fury at my cowardice, my loss; anger at the situation and at how Death had taken Heero from me _again._ This time right in front of me, practically snatching him from my hands. I let my anger smolder, fanned the flames of my hatred until it was a roaring fire within me.

I couldn't leave myself a choice.

I _had_ to do this.

Swerving suddenly, I veered through three lanes of traffic and rumbled across the median. The flustered, indignant honks of the people I cut off were drowned in the violent rattling of the car as I crossed. With a shuddering thump, I was free again, hurtling toward home down the wrong side of the road.

The headlights of oncoming traffic were blinding. I could hear myself, above the roar of the adrenaline in my ears, shouting and shouting for attention I didn't think I would receive. Death had heard me once but that didn't necessarily mean he was still listening. I was taking a chance, not even knowing if he paid attention to anyone who was still alive.

Distantly I heard sirens squeal to life behind me. I realized it was the same cop I had passed on my way to the hospital. It didn't matter; she wouldn't have to chase me for long at this rate. All I had to do was draw the interest of one god as I royally screwed his delicate little web.

"Come on! _Take me!_" I screamed again as I barreled down the highway going far, far faster than any speed limit allowed. Cars were racing at me but they swerved to my right and left, horns blaring and tires screeching in protest. I didn't care. I didn't want to stay here, not alone. "Fucking take me like you took him!" I shouted, voice cracking over the words. "I know you can hear! I know you're listening!"

The crunch of metal on stone sounded off behind me as a car swerved to miss me and hit the column of a bridge overpass. I closed my eyes, breath catching so that I could not yell again. There had been two young people in that car- a guy and a girl. There was no way anyone could survive what I'd watched happen in my rearview mirror.

The air turned to ice around me and an ageless, eerie feeling prickled all over my skin. Startled, I opened my eyes, but there was nothing to see. The God of Death had heard my cry and answered- or at least was pissed that I'd gotten two people killed. It didn't matter why he'd come, only that he had.

"Give him back." I let my anger seep into my words, coloring them with venom. "Give him back or take me too."

The presence that weighed so heavily upon me began to diminish, as though deciding this was not worth the time. My grip on the steering wheel tightened, my knuckles going white. I wasn't going to give up yet. I couldn't just let Heero disappear from my life forever. He meant too much.

"Wait! I… I have an offer." The dissolving touch hesitated, surrounding me as though testing me for lies. The sirens behind me seemed slow and eerie in the background, almost surreal in quality.

Everything was waiting for me.

There had to be _something_ I could do to shift the situation into my favor. I needed control, even if it was only a miniscule amount. There had to be something I could offer him that he would see as worthwhile. But what did you want when you had everything you could ever want; knowledge, power, infinite longevity-

Immortality.

An entire eternity without an escape, without any hope for peace and rest.

Death.

"Trade places with me." I breathed, thinking fast. I was sure he would hear me now no matter how quiet I spoke. "Mortality is the one thing you can't have for yourself. You could rest."

I concentrated on staying on the road and avoiding the now sparse oncoming traffic, not daring to speak further, should he be considering the offer. The police seemed to be multiplying behind me, meaning I didn't have a whole lot of time before they decided to do something drastic like a road block that would inevitably result in someone's death- mine or theirs I wasn't sure.

There was an instant of disgust before I could feel the presence drawing away from me, leaving me alone in the world again.

"It's not stupid!" I shouted, hands tightening painfully on the steering wheel. "It's _not_! God, _please_ just give me a chance! Give me a fucking _chance!_ You owe me that much for what you've done!"

Cold fury hit me like a brick wall and I was almost sick at the overwhelming sensation. I released one hand from the death-grip I'd had on the wheel, clawing uselessly at my chest to try and rid myself from the pain it caused. A strangled noise that should have been a scream escaped me, incoherent and robbed of volume.

The feeling began to subside, leaving me wrung dry of energy.__

"One chance, that's all I ask." I gasped before I could be left. It couldn't end this way- I couldn't let it. Heero was dead, the police were chasing me; I probably wasn't going to make it much longer without hitting something or getting hit. There was nothing left to lose. "I can be the God of Death and you can lead a mortal life. Don't you want to rest?"

It wasn't working. All I could feel was the fury, burning icy cold at the edges of my consciousness, and the receding touch of a disbelieving, irritated presence. Death must have thought it very preposterous, the idea of letting a mortal take a god's job. I'm sure I would have found it just as ridiculous if I had been anyone else.

But I wasn't. I was me.

"Let me prove I can!" I could feel the desperation taking over me as the scream of sirens echoed in pulsing waves behind my car. "Please! Without your help I'll lose him. Forever. I can't let that happen! Don't you know what it is to love?!" I cried, letting my head fall to the steering wheel as tears welled in my eyes. My fingers ached from retaining such a tight grip.

An unexpected soul-deep sadness rippled through their air. The feeling stuck in my chest like a dagger, stealing my breath from the shock.

No, it didn't.

Death took too much; hurt too many, too often.

It knew no such thing as love.

"Wouldn't you like to?" I whispered around the lump in my throat, voice cracking. There was no response and my hopes crumbled along with the rest of me as I surrendered to a sob. "Please…"

Sound gently dropped out around me, muffled at first and then silenced. I couldn't feel anything but terrifying cold all around me, closing in and pressed so close it hurt. I cried out, reaching for anything to hold onto but I was no longer in my car. I was no longer anywhere I knew. There was nothing but darkness, a roiling black void all around in every direction. Fear gripped my heart- had I failed? Had I crashed?

Death's voice rang evenly through the emptiness, deep and rich with age.

_I accept_.

My heart seized and suddenly there was nothing.

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/**End Chapter Seven, Stay With Me**/

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Notes:

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Aw, I love you guys and the reviews you have been giving me! ::grins:: I know I do some wild things with my plot lines (c'mon, aren't you used to it by now?) but who isn't having fun? Trust me when I say I know what I'm doing. You… DO trust me, right…? ::winks::

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	9. Interlude

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Author: Sparkle Itamashii

Title: Stay with Me- INTERLUDE

Warnings: Respect the rating. See my profile for details.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing AC is NOT MINE.

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**INTERLUDE**

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"- there at the scene of the crash where less than two hours ago a bizarre series of events was brought to a tragic end. Brenda?"

"Thank you. Behind me now are the two vehicles, one of which contained promising young businessman Quatre Winner of the Winner Corporation who was on his way to pay his visit to good friend, Triton Bloom, who was hospitalized early last week. The other car contained what we can only assume was a madman. Duo Maxwell, a college student at a nearby school, took to interstate ninety six early this morning- on the wrong side of the road. Witnesses say they were stunned to see Maxwell's car swing through three lanes of traffic to cut across the median. Some thought perhaps he had fallen asleep at the wheel but it quickly became apparent that he was still driving."

"Police officer Lucrezia Noin, who pursued his car for over ten miles, reported to us that "He didn't seem like a typical suicide driver. He wasn't going for any of the bridges and he swerved to miss several of the cars that weren't fast enough. It was like he was trying to see how long he'd survive."

"Just prior to the crash, Maxwell was seen entering and leaving Jenkinson County Hospital. Morning nurse, Sally Po, spoke with us less than an hour ago on the subject."

"He said he had forgotten something in his friend's room," She told reporter Bruce Strumguard. "I let him through thinking he would only be a minute. He looked so worried. I didn't think he would kill anyone!"

"Channel Six reporter, Bruce Strumguard had arrived at the hospital to investigate the sudden deaths of local college students Triton Bloom and Heero Yuy. Both students had been involved in a drunk-driving accident when Yuy, having left a late-night bar heavily intoxicated, smashed both cars into a stand of trees just off of Oak Street. Both boys, though sustaining serious injury, survived the crash and were moved to Jenkinson County Hospital earlier this week for critical care. These two seemingly unrelated incidents may be less coincidental than you think."

"Nurse Po told reporters that Maxwell had claimed he was there to retrieve lost items from the room of his friend, Heero Yuy. He was seen leaving the building in a hurry minutes after _both_ Bloom and Yuy passed. Coincidental deaths or a double homicide? As doctors have said nothing in either room appeared to have been tampered with, investigators are still unsure whether Maxwell happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time or if this were, perhaps, premeditated."

"Sadly the deaths of these four boys, Bloom and Yuy, Winner and Maxwell were not the only lives claimed this morning. A car contained a young couple by the names Wu Fei and Meiran Chang swerved to miss Maxwell's car as he careened down ninety six. Their vehicle hit a bridge overpass support just a few miles down the road. The wreckage of both accidents is still being cleared and traffic has been closed down on this strip of road for at least the next few hours. And now back to you, Bob, for-"

The television clicked and faded to dull, flat black.

"You know, it wouldn't have hurt," He said softly, leaning back in his worn, blue arm chair, "to let them meet in this life time."

Darkness that feared no light crept around the edges of the room like a living shadow and he smiled at the disdained, chill touch it emitted at his words. He shook his head, letting it rest against the cushioned headrest as he sighed.

"You could have told him the truth. He would have listened." He was greeted with blank silence. "Just because your father never gave you the choice doesn't mean you had to take it from your son. I believe he would have surprised you."

Regret flared, tainting the darkness with emotion. Howard smiled sadly, closing his eyes. Gently, he set his elbows on the arms of the chair and folded his hands on top of his chest. His sigh mirrored the remorse he had just been shown.

"He won't be going into this alone and he doesn't _have_ to take over his responsibilities blind. There's still time, you know; to tell him.

He felt resignation seeping from the shadows around him- acceptance of an already complete situation. What had been done was done and obviously there was no turning back now. Howard had kept watch over the boy for so long that he'd let it begun to affect him- had had begun to really care what happened to Duo. He'd left their cell door unlocked last time; he'd given Duo his love's location this time, and now…

"I guess that means it's my turn, isn't it…" He breathed softly.

His body leaned forward and then dropped away as he stepped from it fluidly like an angel or a ghost, ethereal and shapeless. White light met shadow darkness and neither shied away, only touched and danced across one another briefly and then parted.

_Since you are worried, I will watch over them personally, friend. See you there._

Death smiled gently, for he had passed his duties to another already.

_No, you won't._

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/**END INTERLUDE**/

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	10. Chapter Eight

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Author: Sparkle Itamashii

Title: Stay with Me

Warnings: Respect the rating. See my profile for details.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing AC is NOT MINE.

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"_I believe in love surviving death into eternity…_"

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**Chapter Eight**

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The shelf at the base of the pier was an almost impossible place for any normal human to perch, but then again I'd always been uncannily good at getting places no one else could. I didn't have very much longer anyhow. Deathscythe was on its way to the surface, hauling the other, damaged gundam with it.

That machine was my ticket to finding Heero again.

Even if all I wanted to do was scrap it so I could keep him out of the war…

Hey, I'd paid my dues this lifetime. I had made my way through this world, forging friendships and losing friends and gathering information along the way. I couldn't remember having a life before I'd met Solo- sometimes I reckoned I didn't have one. Maybe I really had entered this world six years old, broken, and alone without any past. My earliest memory in this life was waking in a street of my home colony to the wide-eyed curious gaze of a child named Solo. He had given me a name and a place in this world; somewhere I could call my starting line.

Through it all, through everything I had seen and done and _been_, I had never once forgotten the arrangement I had made so long ago. Death had accepted my terms and agreed to trade places with me so that I could follow Heero, all in exchange for the mortality every immortal desires but cannot have. Death had to keep its end of the bargain- I had to be able to follow Heero. That's why I was back on Earth again. It'd been nine years and here I was, waiting for my chance.

Here, finally, would our pact be complete.

I would be able to take my official place in the design of existence.

"You meant for this to happen all along, didn't you?" I whispered, not taking my eyes from the tiny green screen in my palm. "I never had a choice about doing this, did I?"

Restlessness. Uncertainty. He never answered when I asked those questions. It bothered me, wondering about why I had been the one he chose to succeed him as the God of Death. Surely gods didn't hand their places to mortals whenever they got bored with the job. So why me? Why like this? It couldn't have been just because I'd demanded it, or because I'd been broken up over losing Heero. So what was I missing?

"It's okay." I breathed, watching the tiny blip that was my precious gundam. "I guess everyone's got their secrets, don't they? Whatever yours are… Well, I'm glad you gave me a chance and I know…" I trailed off, hearing voices above me to my left- a boy and a girl. He was here, finally. I shifted, rolling through two feet of water until I reached the plated metal of the boat on which they stood. "I guess this is goodbye, huh?" I asked, trailing my fingers across my thigh holster and reassuring myself of my gun.

I felt a restless, worried sensation tingle through me and I smiled vaguely. Maybe there was still some doubt that I would be able to succeed in my newfound position as the God of Death.

"Don't worry. I'll do fine, I promise." I glanced up, listening to familiar voices quibbling so close. I smiled tightly and suppressed the urge to do anything stupid like lose control. "I don't suppose I'm going to remember anything after I get up there. You can't really have me running around with my memory anymore, not till after this life. That's all right, I guess. I don't suppose you're going to be sticking around after I get your powers and take your place, are you?" I asked weakly as I scrabbled almost silently toward the top. "I'll be on my own again, like the mortal I should have been?"

Regret lanced through me at the words as I reached the bottom edge of the platform and readied myself to clamber atop it and meet my fate. I felt a cold, gripping sense of pride and love tremor across my senses, shocking me with the intensity. I almost lost my tentative grip but somehow ended sprawled in a heap on top of the ship instead of slipping back to the water. I didn't think Heero or Relena had seen me yet.

_You should never have been mortal, my son._

"Son-?" I began, startled, as my eyes fell upon Heero's stocky form for the first time since-

In that instant, the deal… was final.

My mind went blank…

Woah… That was strange… I must have zoned out for a second.

I blink, rubbing one palm against my temple. I feel like I've just woken up from a daydream I can't quite remember. It feels like it should have been important, like a special memory. What was I… I'd been waiting for Deathscythe and then… Voices! I look to my side and see a boy and a girl standing by the controls to the ship I've boarded.

That guy…

I know that guy. I think.

He…

He's pointing a gun at that girl and he's going to fire!

I draw my own gun as quickly as possible, taking aim and firing one well placed shot at the center of his back before I have time to rise. Even as my gun fires he notices and jumps aside, whirling to look at me like a panther, wild and fierce. Blood runs down his arm at the bullet wound but he doesn't even appear phased as he glares at me.

That face…

Those eyes…

"Heero!" The girl cries, looking if she is torn between worrying and being terrified.

Heero, hm….? Why does that sound so familiar?

"Who're you?!" He snarls, like a wounded animal.

Such insolence…

I don't know who _you_ are, but it's not your place to kill unless I say so, right?

I'm the self-proclaimed God of Death, didn't you know?

I guess… I'm just going to have to stay with you and teach you a lesson, Heero.

* * *

/**End Chapter Eight, Stay With Me**/

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/**End Stay With Me**/

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Notes:

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This was intended to be a lead in to the actual gundam wing series. If you watch episode #2 you can find exactly the part where this ends, just after Duo shot Heero (the first time ::sigh::) and... well, pretend that's how this story goes from here out.  
  
Well ::dies:: I hope it was sufficiently twisted enough to please you until I finish another few one shots or work through the rest of the plot for Inheritance. Which IS being worked on, despite how it looks as though it's been forgotten. Please, PLEASE leave a review here if you read this, I'd like to know what people think, good or bad. Thank you! ::loves:: 


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